Category: Youth Leagues
HERTS SECURES PLANNING PERMISSION FOR GROVEHILL BALLPARK
Herts Baseball Club has secured planning permission from Dacorum Borough Council for its Grovehill Ballpark Project. This means that the Club has managed to overcome a crucial hurdle in its path to successfully completing the project to create two baseball fields that would be among the best facilities in the UK.
With the pro bono assistance of Emma Burrow, of Property Lande Architecture, a local architect firm, the Club submitted its planning application in early September. Whether it is a large shopping complex, residential buildings or a sports venue such as Grovehill Ballpark, obtaining a planning permission can be a big challenge. Club President, Aspi Dimitrov, recalls the early weeks of the application process: “This was the first time that our club has been involved in applying for a planning permission and the Club’s Executive Board expected to have a daunting task of convincing local residents, private and public organisations and officials of the obvious benefits of the Grovehill Ballpark project for the community.”
“But we were very pleasantly surprised by the astonishing support which was received from pretty much everyone that we contacted as part of the consultation process. From governing bodies such as BaseballSoftballUK and the British Baseball Federation, to local and national organisations and agencies such as Sport England, Dacorum Borough Council, Dacorum Sports Network, Herts Sports Partnership, the Police, the Mayor Cllr Mrs. Carol Green, our local MP, Mike Penning, not forgetting the hundreds of individuals who signed the paper and online petitions supporting the project including Head Coach, Stephan Rapaglia, and players of the European Championships silver medal-winning Great Britain Team, as well as players of baseball clubs from around the country. The support was astounding.”
Dimitrov added: “Over the years the members of our club knew that we are creating something very special and that we are building a good name and reputation, but we never realised that our work and activities have been noticed and are recognized by so many people, and that the name Herts Baseball would open so many doors.”
“Despite this great support we were aware that a planning application is a complicated legal process, and the presence of Emma Burrow has been vital. Her guidance from day one has been pivotal.”- said Dimitrov.
On Thursday evening Dacorum Borough Council’s Planning Committee met to consider and announce their final decision. The Executive Board of Herts Baseball Club received the all important telephone call just after 8pm, confirming that the application has been successful.
This clears the way for the first stage of the project to be completed in 2009. The members of the club have raised around £16,000 over the last seven months, including the £10,000 Awards for All grant and around £6,000 raised in club fundraising events and initiatives. It means that the club has secured the funds required for the first stage of the project and are now continuing the fundraising effort for the second stage which involves improving the turf quality of Grovehill Ballpark.
Dimitrov added: “When the planning application was prepared it included several additional elements and now that it has been approved, this opens the door for future improvement of the Ballpark. For example the application included the full fence enclosure of the two diamonds, not just the backstops and the outfield parts of the fence, which will go a long way towards deterring vandalism and providing a better and more secure environment for our Little League teams. We now have the freedom to plan and raise funds for stage 3, stage 4 etc. in the future, knowing that we have clearance, from a legal perspective.”
2009 SEASON STARTS TODAY FOR HERTS BASEBALL CLUB
For many clubs around the country AGMs are usually held in January or February just a few weeks before the start of the season, but in the last two years Herts has decided to bring it forward by three months in order for the elected officers to commence their work and to better utilize the off-season period. On Sunday, members of Herts Baseball Club gathered at the SportsSpace Centre in Hemel Hempstead for their 12th Annual General Meeting. The 2008 Executive Board had an opportunity to report on the club’s progress and achievements in the last 12 months, which undoubtedly has been the club’s best season ever, on and off the field.
Herts successfully implemented the expansion into a club with three adult and four youth teams. Its AAA team, the Falcons became the 2008 British AAA National Champion. The Little League teams have already won a trophy and have performed very well against the best youth teams in the country. The Club is an organiser of large events at national and regional level, from the Herts Little League and the Herts Spring League to the Herts Futures Tournament.
There are many more objectives which the club has set for 2009 including the completion of the Grovehill Ballpark project; further growth of the Herts Little League, adopting better coaching techniques, establishing stronger relationship with local schools. The Club must also transfer the successful structure at AAA level to the other teams in the adult programme.
Over the years the Club has been very fortunate to have very hard-working, dedicated and creative people elected as club officers and on Sunday the members elected another very strong team of Club officers for 2009. It is a very strong combination of old and new officers which ensures that continuity is maintained while injecting new energy into the organisation.
2009 HBC OFFICERS
BOARD
Aspi Dimitrov, Secretary / President
Paul Auchterlounie, Treasurer
Jason Greenberg, First Team Manager
(vacant), Second Team Manager
Andrew Slater, Third Team Manager
Marty Cullen, Little League Commissioner
NON-BOARD
Jason Greenberg, Webmaster
Jo Smith, Fundraising Manager
Nic Goetz, Sponsorship Manager
Greg Bochan, Statistics Officer
The Second Team Manager position was left vacant. The Club will be communicating with potential candidates in order to fill this position.
AND THE HERTS LITTLE LEAGUE AWARD GOES TO…
The 2008 Herts Little League season drew to a close on Saturday with the presentation of individual awards for the four Herts teams. But before the trophy and medal presentation the players took part in the 2008 Herts Little League Home Run Derby.
In the first round Alex Ringrose (2) and Zack Longboy (1) hit home runs for the Blue Jays. For the Yankees, the big sluggers were brothers Lewis (1) and Liam Green (3) as well as Marty Cullen Jr (2). The absence of the League’s Home Run Leader, Lewis Paterson, for the Cubs was clear as they struggled to produce the necessary power. Kieran Manning recorded one home run for the Red Sox but the most notable performance in the first Round was that of another Red Sock. Mikito Ariga put on a real batting exhibition with six home runs reminding spectators at Grovehill Ballpark of Josh Hamilton’s performance on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean at Yankee Stadium during the MLB Home Run Derby earlier this year.
Photos from the day (including shots from the Family Softball Game)
Four of the players with highest scores in the first Round made it through to the Final Round where players had only 5 Outs to work with. Mikito Ariga recorded one home run while Marty Cullen Jr had two, but this wasn’t enough as Liam Green and Alex Ringrose both hit 3 home runs. This meant that the winner was to be decided in a Sudden-Death Elimination between the two. Ringrose and Green were taking a swing each until finally Liam Green hit a bomb which confirmed him as the 2008 Home Run Derby Champion.
In the 2008 Awards Ceremony which followed, every player’s contribution was acknowledged with the presentation of the Herts Little League medals. Players from each of the four teams were awarded with the individual awards in the various categories. Infield and Outfield Gold Gloves were presented for some outstanding defensive performances. The big hitters in each team received the Batting Champion trophies. The Cy Young Award recognized the pitching aces of 2008. For many players 2008 was the first year playing the game of baseball and the Rookie of the Year trophies were presented to those who have worked hard to develop their baseball skills and as a result have had very successful debut seasons.
Since the final game of the season the Little League players have been casting their Most Valuable Player (MVP) votes in order to determine the four players (one from each of the four teams) who is deemed most valuable to the team not only in terms of ability, talent and statistics but the ability to act as a team leader. This is perhaps the best award to be given as the MVP is seen as the best-all round player on the team and the one who has contributed most to the team’s success.
The Red Sox MVP vote was very competitive with both Charlie Mayhew and Yuki Ariga coming very close, but it was Yuki’s brother, Mikito, who picked up the MVP. Storm Frisby, Nicolas Carlean and Georgia Ringrose all picked up MVP votes, but the undoubted winner among the Blue Jays was, Zack Longboy. Lewis Paterson was the MVP for the Cubs in a close race with Carlos Casal Jr. Finally, for the 2008 Champions, the Herts Yankees, the highest number of votes were collected by Liam Green.
FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS
HERTS RED SOX
|
MVP |
Mikito Ariga |
|
Batting Champion |
Mikito Ariga |
|
Infield Gold Glove |
Kieran Manning |
|
Outfield Gold Glove |
Declan Carlean |
|
Rookie of the Year |
Jamie Brener |
|
Cy Young Award |
Mikito Ariga |
HERTS BLUE JAYS
|
MVP |
Zachary Longboy |
|
Batting Champion |
Alex Ringrose |
|
Infield Gold Glove |
Dan Phillips |
|
Outfield Gold Glove |
Storm Frisby |
|
Rookie of the Year |
Ozan Martin |
|
Cy Young Award |
Zachary Longboy |
HERTS CUBS
|
MVP |
Lewis Paterson |
|
Batting Champion |
Lewis Paterson |
|
Infield Gold Glove |
Carlos Casal Jr |
|
Outfield Gold Glove |
Joshua Keenan |
|
Rookie of the Year |
Paul Sands |
|
Cy Young Award |
Carlos Casal Jr |
HERTS YANKEES
|
MVP |
Liam Green |
|
Batting Champion |
Liam Green |
|
Infield Gold Glove |
Marty Cullen Jr |
|
Outfield Gold Glove |
Lewis Green |
|
Rookie of the Year |
Theo Longboy |
|
Cy Young Award |
Marty Cullen Jr |
HORSHAM ALL-STARS COME OUT ON TOP IN EPIC FINAL AGAINST HERTS JUNIOR HAWKS
Baseball may not be the number one sport in Great Britain but on Saturday’s evidence it is clear that it has been making real progress in the last few years and is beginning to attract many new players and fans. In one of the final events of the 2008 baseball season, eight of the top youth teams in Great Britain took part in the Herts Futures Tournament. This is a new event in the British baseball calendar organised by Herts Baseball Club and held at its Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. It proved to be a real celebration of baseball and a very fitting way to celebrate the end of the season.
The eight teams were split into two groups of four and they battled it out in a round robin format. The London Mets and the Horsham All-Stars stamped their authority early with two convincing wins against the Windsor Bears and the Herts Junior Raptors. This set up an intriguing clash between the two teams in the last group game to decide which of them will clinch top spot in the group and a place in the final. Horsham came out on top with a 6-4 win.
In the other group the visiting teams did not know what to expect from the Herts Junior Hawks which is a team representing the hosts, Herts Baseball Club. The Herts players play in the Herts Little League which is an independent league created only 12 months ago. Despite fielding some players who were visibly younger than their opponents, the Junior Hawks produced some terrific baseball. They won all of their group games to clinch first place in their group.
This meant that the final of the first ever Herts Futures Tournament was to be contested between two teams representing independent youth Leagues.
The Horsham and Herts teams were removed by the BBF from participating in the 2008 National Championships. It must be said that the BBF were forced to do so for logistical reasons which were out of their control but still it is ironic that these same teams overcame their BBF opponents to reach the Final on Saturday.
The Herts vs Horsham Final proved to be a classic. Herts Junior Hawks took a 2-1 lead and seemed to be on their way to a famous victory, but then Horsham struck back in the top of the final inning with 3 vital runs. Herts managed to reduce the deficit scoring a run in the bottom of the inning, but the all important tying run was left stranded on second base.
The disappointment on the faces of the Herts players was there for all to see, but those players should be very proud of finishing second in only their second tournament against opponents outside of Hertfordshire’s Little League.
FULL TOURNAMENT SCOREBOARD
| GROUP 1 | HOME | VISITORS | GROUP 1 STANDINGS | W | L | Runs +/- | |||
| 11:00am | London Mets | 16 | vs | 0 | Herts Jr. Raptors | Horsham All-Stars | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| 11:00am | Horsham All-Stars | 10 | vs | 0 | Windsor Bears | London Mets | 2 | 1 | 21 |
| 12:15pm | Herts Jr. Raptors | 0 | vs | 15 | Horsham All-Stars | Windsor Bears | 1 | 2 | -4 |
| 12:15pm | Windsor Bears | 3 | vs | 10 | London Mets | Herts Jr. Raptors | 0 | 3 | -44 |
| 1:30pm | Horsham All-Stars | 6 | vs | 4 | London Mets | ||||
| 1:30pm | Herts Jr. Raptors | 2 | vs | 15 | Windsor Bears | ||||
| GROUP 2 | HOME | VISITORS | GROUP 1 STANDINGS | W | L | Runs +/- | |||
| 11:00am | Bracknell Blazers | 5 | vs | 9 | Herts Jr. Hawks | Herts Jr. Hawks | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 11:00am | Brentwood Bucks | 8 | vs | 1 | Tonbridge Bobcats | Bracknell Blazers | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 12:15pm | Herts Jr. Hawks | 9 | vs | 7 | Brentwood Bucks | Brentwood Bucks | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 12:15pm | Tonbridge Bobcats | 2 | vs | 10 | Bracknell Blazers | Tonbridge Bobcats | 0 | 3 | -22 |
| 1:30pm | Brentwood Bucks | 1 | vs | 3 | Bracknell Blazers | ||||
| 1:30pm | Herts Jr. Hawks | 7 | vs | 0 | Tonbridge Bobcats | ||||
| FINALS | HOME | VISITORS | |||||||
| 3:00pm | Horsham All-Stars | 4 | vs | 3 | Herts Jr. Hawks | ||||
| 3:00pm | Bracknell Blazers | 11 | vs | 0 | London Mets | ||||
| 3:00pm | Windsor Bears | 2 | vs | 7 | Brentwood Bucks | ||||
| 3:00pm | Tonbridge Bobcats | 11 | vs | 10 | Herts Jr. Raptors |
GROVEHILL BALLPARK TO HOST THE HERTS FUTURES TOURNAMENT THIS SATURDAY
Eight of the top British youth baseball teams will play in the first ever Herts Futures Tournament. It will be held at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire on Saturday, 27 September. The action begins at 11am.
The 8 teams will be placed in two groups of four teams. Teams play games against each team in
their group. To determine the winner and the overall Tournament standings all teams will play
in a Final against the corresponding team in the other group.
The invited teams will be from the BBF Southern Conference and the independent Little
Leagues in the South, including London Mets, Horsham All-Stars, Wi9ndsor Bears, Bracknell Blazers, Brentwood Bucks, Tonbridge Bobcats. They will join the two host teams, the Herts Junior Raptors and the Herts Junior Hawks. The two Herts teams play in the Herts Little League established this year, so this Tournament is a great opportunity for the Herts Little League players to play against teams from other parts of the country. It will also be a test to see how the Herts programme will compare against much more experienced and well-established youth teams.
The Tournament is expected to attract a record attendance at the baseball diamond at Grovehill Ballpark and is set to be a great day out for the whole family. Apart from great baseball action, the players, and fans will be able to sample traditional baseball snacks and drinks, as well as fresh doughnuts provided through the Krispy-Kreme Fundraising Programme. All profits will go towards Herts Baseball Club’s project to develop Grovehill Ballpark by improving existing facilities and adding a second baseball diamond.
It is not too late for boys and girls to sign up and play in this event. For more details about the Tournament and how to take part please contact us.
2008 HERTS FUTURES TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
|
GROUP 1 |
HOME |
|
VISITORS |
FIELD |
|
11:00am |
London Mets |
vs |
Herts Jr. Raptors |
3 |
|
11:00am |
Horsham All-Stars |
vs |
Windsor Bears |
4 |
|
12:15pm |
Herts Jr. Raptors |
vs |
Horsham All-Stars |
3 |
|
12:15pm |
Windsor Bears |
vs |
London Mets |
4 |
|
1:30pm |
Horsham All-Stars |
vs |
London Mets |
3 |
|
1:30pm |
Herts Jr. Raptors |
vs |
Windsor Bears |
4 |
|
GROUP 2 |
HOME |
|
VISITORS |
FIELD |
|
11:00am |
Bracknell Blazers |
vs |
Herts Jr. Hawks |
1 |
|
11:00am |
Brentwood Bucks |
vs |
Tonbridge Bobcats |
2 |
|
12:15pm |
Herts Jr. Hawks |
vs |
Brentwood Bucks |
1 |
|
12:15pm |
Tonbridge Bobcats |
vs |
Bracknell Blazers |
2 |
|
1:30pm |
Brentwood Bucks |
vs |
Bracknell Blazers |
1 |
|
1:30pm |
Herts Jr. Hawks |
vs |
Tonbridge Bobcats |
2 |
|
FINALS |
HOME |
|
VISITORS |
FIELD |
|
3:00pm |
1st (Group 1) |
vs |
1st (Group 2) |
1 |
|
3:00pm |
2nd (Group 2) |
vs |
2nd (Group 1) |
2 |
|
3:00pm |
3rd (Group 1) |
vs |
3rd (Group 2) |
3 |
|
3:00pm |
4th (Group 2) |
vs |
4th (Group 1) |
4 |
YANKEES ARE FIRST EVER HERTS LITTLE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS. BLUE JAYS WIN THIRD PLACE FINAL
The 2008 Herts Baseball Little League season ended with a bang. The Herts Yankees had to produce their two best performances of the season in order to lift the League trophy.
In the opening game of the final day, they clashed with the Herts Red Sox in the sudden-death play-off. The prize for the winner was a place in the League Championship Final. The dilemma facing both the Red Sox and Yankee Coaches was which pitchers to use in this play-off game. The choice was between using the ace pitchers of the team or to save their arms for the Championship Final. One thing was certain; whoever pitched in the play-off game would not have the energy to pitch in the Championship game.
Both managers decided to gamble. Such is the life of a Herts Little League Coach that, for one of the two Coaches, this was to prove to be a brilliant move, while for the other, an error of enormous proportions.
Making a rare appearance on the mound for the Yankees was Liam Green. The pressure of the occasion did not seem to faze him. He was throwing a nasty combination of fastballs and curveballs which kept the Red Sox batters off balance all day. At the same time the Yankees delivered some crushing blows with their bats and started to chalk up one run after another.
Desperate to stay in the game, the Red Sox tried to regroup with some changes in the field, but nothing seemed to be going their way. The Yankees outplayed them both offensively and defensively to record a famous 7-0 victory.
And so the scene was set for the 2008 Herts Little League Championship game. Cubs vs Yankees.
With the Yankees having played through a gruelling playoff with the Red Sox earlier, it was expected that they would come into the game exhausted against the Cubs who had the luxury of resting their arms and bats before the Final. This wasn’t the case and instead the Yankees were the quickest off the blocks taking a 3-run lead in the top of the first inning. The Cubs were putting runners on base but were missing that all important hit with runners in scoring positions. Yankees puitcher, Marty Cullen Jr always seemed to be finding that little bit extra in those key situations.
The Final score of 12-0 was a true reflection of the Yankees’ outstanding performance.
In the 3rd/4th Place Final the Blue Jays managed to pull off a surprising 6-1 win against the Red Sox.
A great day to end a very successful first season of the Herts Baseball Little League. In a very short period of time the League has managed to establish itself as one of the best ways for boys and girls to spend their summer. But this has been more than just a way for kids to spend their free time. The members are now very much a part of one big family – Herts Baseball Club.
RED SOX-YANKEES-CUBS DEADLOCK. HERTS LITTLE LEAGUE EXTENDED TO DETERMINE CHAMPIONS.
On a sun-drenched afternoon the players and fans of the Herts Baseball Little League came down to Grovehill Ballpark for the final League day of the season to determine the 2008 Champions. At the end of the day, three teams were still locked in a stalemate at the top of the standings, which meant that everyone will be coming back for one more final day to decide the Winners.
Before the Final Day games, the Herts Cubs were in the lead and they knew that they had their destiny in their own hands. They needed one win to make sure that no one jumps above them. Two wins, and they are the Champions. Even if they were to lose the first game of the day, a win against the Yankees in the second game would still guarantee them the title. The Yankees were one game back on the Cubs and needed to make up that deficit over the two games of the day. The Red Sox were playing catch-up with two games back on the leaders. They needed to win both their games and hope that the Yankees lose to the Blue Jays and beat the Cubs, which at the start of the day seemed like a very, very unlikely scenario.
With all the attention on the three teams at the top of the table, the last-placed Blue Jays caused a major upset by beating the Yankees 4-3. Fearing that they may have blown their chances of becoming Champions, anxious Yankee players and coaches headed towards Field 1 hoping for a Red Sox win against the Cubs. Their hopes were realized. The Red Sox produced their best performance of the season shutting down the Cubs 5-0.
The Cubs may have lost but they knew that a win against the Yankees in the final game of the season and the trophy is theirs. This proved to be one of the most nail-biting games of the year. The Yankees took a 5-2 lead going into the final inning, but the Cubs were not giving up. Despite the Yankees recording two quick outs, the Cubs managed to load the bases. Up stepped the league’s home run leader, Lewis Paterson (3 HR), to face GB National team pitcher Marty Cullen Jr in a power-versus-power duel. With the count full at 3 balls and 2 strikes, Paterson kept fighting, fouling off some tough pitches. In the eighth pitch of the at bat, Cullen threw a hard inside fastball. Great pitch but it glanced off Paterson’s leg. An epic at bat which made the score 5-3 and the bases were still loaded. Cullen Jr may have been shaken up by this, but with the tying run on second base he kept his composure striking out the next batter to secure the win for the Yankees.
The unthinkable had happened. The Herts Cubs needed to win only one of their two games to become Champions but lost both. The Red Sox on the other hand have put together a 5-game winning streak just at the right time and the outcome of all the other games was exactly what they were hoping for. Not even J.K. Rawlings could have written a better script.
In sports such as football a tie in the league table is usually resolved on the basis of goal difference. In baseball, however, the tradition is that if teams have the same win-loss record at the end of the season they play an extra tie-break game. The Herts Baseball Little League will follow the true baseball tradition and so the season has been extended and extra games will be played.
With the Herts Cubs having a better head-to-head and run difference record than the Yankees and the Red Sox, they have secured their place in the Championship deciding game. To determine their opponent, the Yankees and the Red Sox will battle it out next week.
This is the schedule for the “final” Final day of the season next Saturday, 20 September.
FIRST SET OF GAMES
Red Sox @ Yankees (to determine the second Championship Game Finalist)
Cubs @ Blue Jays (exhibition game)
(3-inning games)
SECOND SET OF GAMES
Yankees or Red Sox @ Cubs (Herts Little League Championship Game)
Blue Jays @ Yankees or Red Sox (3rd/4th Place Final)
(4-inning games)
Link to Photos from the Final Regular Season Day
FALCONS REIGN ON KINGS PARADE, CROWNED AAA CHAMPS
After amodest toast to their charmed ascendancy through the League, the Hertsfirst-team quickly rested and refocused for a Sunday morning clash with theirAAA Oxford rivals. The Falcons arrivedat Croydon’s Diamond One a full hour-and-a-half before their opponents and the umpiringcrew, fueled only by their sheer determination to finish what they’d begun.
The weatherhad not improved despite Club President Aspi Dimitrov’s claim that this was “abetter rain.” The mist was unrelentingand left the field water-logged and – according to BBF officials –unplayable. Nevertheless, the Falconsstretched and warmed their arms no less than three times before the mainstagewas relocated to the better-maintained second field, and the game commenced 90minutes behind schedule.
Withseveral runner-up games already cancelled due to weather, Herts was eager toget proceedings underway and avoid an unnecessary postponement. They were present, they were warmed and theywere fired up. The growing crowd wasequally impatient; the excitement of an inevitable climax hung in the air.
Flashbackto July 6 2008: Oxford Kings travel to a rain-soaked Grovehill for a crucialcross-division matchup. Capitalizing as the away team,
It was nosurprise then that Kings Manager Santo Bains chose to again be the away teamwhen he won the coin toss prior to Sunday’s final… a gamble that
Darrin “TheColonel” Ward took the mound seeking revenge – having suffered his only loss ofthe season to
With noscore and two outs in the bottom of the 2nd, and Kimiyoshi Saionjion third base, rightfielder Aspi Dimitrov connected on a 1-and-2 count for aline drive up the middle, bringing home the first run of the game. Herts had taken a lead they would neverrelinquish. In the top of the 3rdwith the bases loaded and one out, Ward’s legendary changeup forced Oxford intoan infield fly and a foul-pop to catcher Greenberg ending the threat.
The windbeneath their wings, the Falcons quickly tacked on three more runs in thebottom of the inning on two hits and two Kings’ errors. Despite a string of four hits by Oxfordscoring two runs in the fourth (including a to-the-fence double from Machado),the Falcons brought their lead to 6-2 with precision defense, a triple fromClub President Dimitrov and timely strikeouts from the crafty Ward. Machado wasn’t finished; he crushed a hangingbreaking ball over the right field wall for the game’s final run (the Kings’third)… but no amount of muscle could combat Herts dogged determination. Outfielder and lightening-bolt Jim Hyde wasejected in the bottom-of-the-6th for attempting to score on a groundball to the left side. Although photoevidence shows him under the tag, the umpire punched him out and Hyde,incensed, pounded his helmet into the batters circle. It was that kind of never-die grit that keptHerts on top despite the game’s mounting pressure.
With theFalcons leading 6-3 in the top of the seventh, a strikeout, a fly-out and apop-out brought the AAA season to an end. The natural finalists – first in their respective League brackets – haddone battle in the inclement English weather, in front of the BBF’s top umpiresand officials and to the delight of their many supporting fans. The Herts Falcons were crowned National Champions,taking the trophy from their scrappy opponents in what proved the tightest,hardest-fought contest of the 2008 Final 4. It was a showdown for the annals, and will be hotly remembered in theseason to come when Herts and
2008 saw animprobable rise to the top for the Herts Baseball Club. Weathering demotion, re-promotion and nowcoronation, the Falcons’ successes have made for a glory season of resurgenceand optimism. They garnered the bestwin-loss record in the AAA, bested every opponent they faced, and allowed thefewest runs of any team in the League. AsBBF President Rob Rance presented the championship trophy, he offeredencouraging words of support to Hertfordshire’s ballclub, saying “Herts is agreat programme – a class act – the kind of Club that the BBF needs to helpthis country develop the game. Congratulations to the Falcons on a fine season.”
| Oxford Kings at Herts Falcons | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score By Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Oxford Kings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 2 |
| Herts Falcons | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| Herts Falcons 6, Oxford Kings 3 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herts Falcons | Oxford Kings | ||||||||
| ab | r | h | bi | ab | r | h | bi | ||
| Jim Hyde lf | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Player 1 p | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| (t7) Greg Bochan rf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Player 2 c | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Andy Cornish 3b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Player 3 1b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Greenberg c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Player 4 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Player 5 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dan Kerry cf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Player 6 ss | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Marty Cullen 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Player 7 lf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aspi Dimitrov rf-lf | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Player 8 cf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nick Goetz ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Player 9 rf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Darrin Ward p | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 27 | 6 | 9 | 5 | TEAM TOTALS | 35 | 3 | 11 | 3 |
| E: Nick Goetz(3), Marty Cullen, Darrin Ward, Player 1, Player 4. DP: Oxford Kings 1. LOB: Herts Falcons 7, Oxford Kings 15. 2B: Player 2, Player 9. 3B: Aspi Dimitrov. HR: Player 2. SB: Jim Hyde(2), Dan Kerry. CS: Player 2. |
| Herts Falcons | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Darrin Ward W | 7.00 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Oxford Kings | ||||||
| Player 1 L | 6.00 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| HBP: by Darrin Ward (Player 3). . , by Player 1 (Jim Hyde). . . , by Player 1 (Jim Hyde). . PB: Player 2. T: 2:28. A: 151. |
| Oxford Kings – Top of the 1st: Player 1 struck out looking. Player 2 reached on error, caught trying to steal 2nd. Player 3 hit by pitch. Player 4 struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 1st: Jim Hyde singled, forced out at 2nd. Andy Cornish hit into double play. Jason Greenberg struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. |
| Oxford Kings – Top of the 2nd: Player 5 walked, forced out at 2nd. Player 6 reached on fielder's choice, batted forward to 2nd. Player 7 singled. Player 8 struck out looking. Player 9 grounded out. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 2nd: Kimiyoshi Saionji walked, batted forward to home. Dan Kerry struck out looking. Marty Cullen grounded out. Aspi Dimitrov singled, 1 RBI. Nick Goetz struck out looking. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. |
| Oxford Kings – Top of the 3rd: Player 1 walked, batted forward to 2nd, forced out at 3rd. Player 2 singled, batted forward to 3rd. Player 3 reached on fielder's choice, batted forward to 2nd. Player 4 singled. Player 5 out by infield fly rule. Player 6 popped out. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 3rd: Darrin Ward grounded out. Jim Hyde hit by pitch, advanced to 3rd on error, advanced to home on passed ball. Andy Cornish reached on error, advanced to 2nd on error, advanced to 3rd on passed ball, batted forward to home. Jason Greenberg reached on error, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, batted forward to home. Kimiyoshi Saionji singled, advanced to 2nd on throw, batted forward to 3rd, tagged out going to home, 2 RBI. Dan Kerry singled, stole 2nd. Marty Cullen flied out. 3 runs, 2 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB. |
| Oxford Kings – Top of the 4th: Player 7 flied out. Player 8 singled, batted forward to home. Player 9 singled, batted forward to home. Player 1 singled, batted forward to 3rd. Player 2 doubled, 2 RBI. Player 3 grounded out. Player 4 walked. Player 5 flied out. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 4th: Aspi Dimitrov tripled, batted forward to home. Nick Goetz struck out swinging. Darrin Ward singled, forced out at 2nd, 1 RBI. Jim Hyde reached on fielder's choice, batted forward to home. Andy Cornish singled, batted forward to 3rd. Jason Greenberg singled, batted forward to 2nd, 1 RBI. Kimiyoshi Saionji walked. Dan Kerry popped out. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. |
| Oxford Kings – Top of the 5th: Player 6 singled, forced out at 2nd. Player 7 struck out looking. Player 8 reached on error, batted forward to 3rd. Player 9 doubled. Player 1 grounded out. 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 5th: Marty Cullen grounded out. Aspi Dimitrov struck out looking. Nick Goetz singled. Darrin Ward grounded out. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. |
| Oxford Kings – Top of the 6th: Player 2 hit solo home run, 1 RBI. Player 3 grounded out. Player 4 popped out. Player 5 singled, advanced to 3rd on error. Player 6 reached on error, advanced to 2nd on error. Player 7 reached on error. Player 8 grounded out. 1 run, 2 hits, 2 errors, 3 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 6th: Jim Hyde hit by pitch, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, tagged out going to home. Hyde ejected for tossing helmet after being called out at home. It must be noted that Hyde did not say a single word to the umpire and this may have just been due to frustration. Hyde wouldn't have been ejected if this had happened in an MLB game. Andy Cornish popped out. Jason Greenberg reached on fielder's choice. Kimiyoshi Saionji popped out. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. |
| Oxford Kings – Top of the 7th: Player 9 struck out swinging. Player 1 reached on error, advanced to 2nd on error. Player 2 flied out. Player 3 popped out. Falcons are AAA Champions…Falcons are AAA Chapmions…Go crazy folks…go crazy 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. |
HERTS QUALIFY, PILOTS SHOT DOWN OVER CROYDON
The diamond was drenched in déjà vu. Only one year ago the Herts first-team were onthis same field… facing the same opposition.
In the 2007 National Championships, the Falcons metthe Humber Pilots in the AA Final. Relegated from the Premier League the season before, Herts weredetermined to cap their walk-over winning season with a trophy and trip backinto the AAA. But sloppy first-inningdefense and ineffective pitching allowed
Here we go again. Humber – also promoted to the AAA in the Northern bracket – made thelong trek due south from
Mayday! Mayday!
These were not the same Falcons. Herts charged into 2008 with a full head ofsteam. New leadership brought a wholenew approach. With a focus on improvedtraining methods and a unifying philosophy, these Falcons sported adetermination and team commitment unrivalled in years past. The emergence of additional talent – newfoundand home grown – meant that Herts brought improved speed, pitching, defense andpower to an already successful lineup. The Pilots were in for a dogfight.
In a complete reversal of their last encounter, theFalcons won the coin toss, took the home side dugout and readied themselves fora tooth-and-nail showdown. The Pilotsseemed to take an early advantage when 2007 Best Pitcher Nic Goetz got off to aherky-jerky start walking the first two batters and beaning the third. But the threat was quickly silenced. Catcher Jason Greenberg gunned down awould-be base-stealer for the first out of the game, and a line-drive doubleplay by third baseman Darrin Ward brought the inning to the end. Herts wasted no time in embracing theirmomentum. In the bottom of the 1st,speedy leadoff batter Jim Hyde walked, stole second and was brought home on adouble from slugger Andy Cornish. Twomore hits, two walks, a hit batter and a suicide squeeze brought in anadditional four runs for the Falcons who, in a reversal of fortunes of their2007 championship game, had an early 5-0 lead… and a confidence that evenMother Nature couldn’t quash.
Goetz quickly found his focus and dominated the
The game was not without controversy. The two-man ump crew of Petter Nordwall andDarrin Muller hand their hands full with the frustrated
On the positive side, Herts busted out the bigbats. Cornish connected for two doublesand a monster-run for 4 RBI. MartyCullen and Darrin Ward also doubled, and Ward smacked a two-run blast of hisown. Second-baseman Kimiyoshi Saionjiwent 4-for-4 with 4 RBI including a three-run dinger. The Falcons flew around the base-pathsstealing 8-of-8 and hustling out two triples from Jim “T-Devil” Hyde and Dan“Hollywood” Kerry.
As the Falcons packed up their rain-soaked gear withthe knowledge that
BOX SCORE
| Humber Pilots at Herts Falcons | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score By Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
| Humber Pilots | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Herts Falcons | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 19 | 2 |
| Herts Falcons 21, Humber Pilots 1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herts Falcons | Humber Pilots | ||||||||
| ab | r | h | bi | ab | r | h | bi | ||
| Jim Hyde lf | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | M Radge cf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andy Cornish ss | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | S Radge 2b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jason Greenberg c | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | C Radge ss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | A Maltby c | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Darrin Ward 3b | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | B Webb p | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (t4) Peter Kikel 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | M Gilbert 3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dan Kerry cf | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | S Mayhew lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (t4) Tim Elkins cf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | K McThitas 1b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Marty Cullen 1b | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | P Senn rf | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Bochan rf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| (b3) Rodney Naghar rf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Lee Manning dh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Nick Goetz p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Aspi Dimitrov p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 31 | 21 | 19 | 17 | TEAM TOTALS | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| E: Andy Cornish, Darrin Ward, M Gilbert(2), C Radge, M Radge. LOB: Humber Pilots 4, Herts Falcons 6. 2B: Andy Cornish(2), Darrin Ward, Marty Cullen. 3B: Jim Hyde, Dan Kerry. HR: Kimiyoshi Saionji, Andy Cornish, Darrin Ward. SB: Andy Cornish(2), Jim Hyde(2), Jason Greenberg(2), Kimiyoshi Saionji, Dan Kerry. CS: M Radge, S Mayhew. SB: Marty Cullen. |
| Herts Falcons | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Nick Goetz W | 4.00 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Aspi Dimitrov | 1.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Humber Pilots | ||||||
| B Webb L | 4.00 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 3 |
| HBP: by Nick Goetz (C Radge), by B Webb (Dan Kerry). . . , by B Webb (Lee Manning). . Balk: B Webb. T: 2:00. A: 151. |
| Humber Pilots – Top of the 1st: M Radge walked, caught trying to steal 2nd. S Radge walked, batted forward to 2nd, tagged out going to 3rd. C Radge hit by pitch. A Maltby lined out. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 1st: Jim Hyde singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home. Andy Cornish doubled, stole 3rd, batted forward to home, 1 RBI. Jason Greenberg grounded out. Kimiyoshi Saionji singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home, 1 RBI. Darrin Ward walked, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on error. Dan Kerry hit by pitch, batted forward to 2nd, advanced to 3rd on error, batted forward to home. Marty Cullen sacrifice bunted, 1 RBI. Greg Bochan singled, 1 RBI. Lee Manning grounded out. 5 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. |
| Humber Pilots – Top of the 2nd: B Webb grounded out. M Gilbert struck out looking. S Mayhew reached on error, caught trying to steal 2nd. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 2nd: Jim Hyde walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to home. Andy Cornish hit 2-run home run, 2 RBI. Jason Greenberg reached on error, stole 2nd, batted forward to home. Kimiyoshi Saionji singled, batted forward to home, 1 RBI. Darrin Ward doubled, batted forward to home, 1 RBI. Dan Kerry singled, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on balk, batted forward to home, 1 RBI. Marty Cullen singled, batted forward to 3rd, 1 RBI. Greg Bochan flied out. Lee Manning flied out. Jim Hyde singled, advanced to 2nd on error, picked off. 6 runs, 6 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB. |
| Humber Pilots – Top of the 3rd: K McThitas singled, forced out at 2nd. P Senn reached on fielder's choice, batted forward to home. M Radge popped out. S Radge singled, batted forward to 3rd. C Radge walked, batted forward to 2nd. A Maltby walked, 1 RBI. B Webb grounded out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 3rd: Andy Cornish doubled, batted forward to 3rd, stole home. Jason Greenberg singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home. Kimiyoshi Saionji singled, batted forward to home. Darrin Ward hit 2-run home run, 2 RBI. Dan Kerry tripled, advanced to home on error. Marty Cullen reached on error, batted forward to home. Rodney Naghar struck out swinging. Lee Manning popped out. Jim Hyde tripled, 1 RBI. Andy Cornish grounded out. 6 runs, 6 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. |
| Humber Pilots – Top of the 4th: M Gilbert reached on error, forced out at 2nd. S Mayhew lined out. K McThitas grounded out. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. |
| Herts Falcons – Bottom of the 4th: Jason Greenberg walked, batted forward to home. Kimiyoshi Saionji hit 2-run home run, 2 RBI. Peter Kikel struck out looking. Tim Elkins walked, batted forward to home. Marty Cullen doubled, batted forward to home. Rodney Naghar singled, batted forward to 3rd, 1 RBI. Lee Manning hit by pitch, batted forward to 2nd. Jim Hyde struck out looking. Andy Cornish walked, 1 RBI. Jason Greenberg grounded out. 4 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. |
| Humber Pilots – Top of the 5th: P Senn grounded out. M Radge grounded out. S Radge struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. |